Balsamic Kale Chips replace my popcorn habit in the summer. I grow Winterbor curly kale rather than Tuscan, or lacinto, kale. I like the crunch of the curly kale leaves and the majesty of the tree-like plants. Visitors exclaim, Wow, what is that – kale? Peas come and go; cucumber have their time; we wait for the tomatoes and the corn, but the kale starts putting out leaves early in the season, and just keeps producing, even after a light frost.
So of course I had to make kale chips, even though I wasn’t a fan. I had always thought of kale chips as essentially leathery and bitter, but these Balsamic Kale Chips aren’t at all tough or chewy – they’re lighter than air. Slightly sweet, a bit salty, with a delicate crunch. Now they’re my snack of choice for the season.
There are recipes out there for making kale chips in the oven, but I’ve never tried that method. I use my Nesco Gardenmaster – it’s a fantastic dehydrator. Simple, effective, and easy to clean. It has a thermostat that you can set anywhere between 95 degrees and 160 degrees, so it’s quite versatile as well. When I pull my Nesco back out of the pantry in early August, it runs almost daily for the remainder of the month, and into September. If you’re a gardener, or even an avid farm market shopper, I highly recommend this appliance. You’ll use it for so much more than making kale chips.
Balsamic Kale Chips
Equipment
- Nesco Food Dehydrator
Ingredients
- 18 large curly kale leaves (resulting in about 14 ounces after you destem the leaves)
- 1/4 cup balsamic glaze
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 t kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare the kale – Tear the leaves from the stems. Soak the leaves in salted water for ten minutes. Rinse and spin dry.
- Coat with balsamic, oil, and salt – Using tongs, toss the kale with the balsamic, oil, and salt. I have to do this in two batches because I don't have a bowl big enough to do it all at once!
- Load the dehydrator trays – Using the tongs, spread the kale on lined dehydrator trays. The balsamic is sticky, and without using tray liners, you'll have a time cleaning the gridded trays. It's OK if you crowd the leaves a bit, but try to avoid stacking them. You want the chips to dry evenly.
- Dry – Set the dehydrator thermostat to 160 degrees, and dry the chips for a couple of hours, or until crispy. Enjoy!
I don’t make balsamic glaze from scratch. I use Colavita Original Balsamic Glaze from BJ’s for this recipe. It’s syrupy and sweet, just the right consistency for coating the kale and just the right touch of sweetness for balancing the bitterness of the greens. I have made Balsamic Kale Chips using balsamic vinegar instead of balsamic glaze, and it was quite good. Whichever you choose, be sure to take the time to thoroughly coat the leaves before loading the dehydrator.
These Balsamic Kale Chips, as yummy as they are, do have a downside. They’re so delicate that you must handle them gingerly or they’ll crumble before you get them in your mouth. No eating them in front of the TV, OK? Your sofa will thank you.